Said The Spider To The Fly
by Tamuril2
Summary: It is time. Garak has completed his mission and now he must leave Earth. He just has one more thing to take care of. After all, friendship is a weakness. AU No Slash *Walking in the Stars drabble*


I promise I am still working on my other, non-Star Trek, stories. This just called out to me.

Gift for Iniki Melset and summerartist. Your reviews give my muse life!

* * *

The suns rises faster than normal that day. Julian can tell by how quickly the heat warmes his face. He sighs and pulls a leg up, resting his chin on top of his knee and hugging his arms around the limb. The coarse fabic of his pants ground him as does the hard stone he sits on, otherwise he might think this a dream.

"You're leaving," he says, eyes still staring out at the black abyss before him. A steady ocean breeze chills his bare arms. He can hear the crash of strong waves on the rocks far below him.

Pebbles clatter and crunch softly as Elim steps closer. "Yes."

"You've been here for quite a while now. Longer than I thought you'd stay." Julian turns his gaze towards Elim, but his sightless eyes see only darkness. He can feel the other man's presence though. He always can. Elim just has that sort of overwelming air about him. Julian sighs, turning back towards the blank ocean view. "Will you go home?"

"Home?" Elim says. "And where is that? Can anyone truly call a place home?"

Julian snorts, a smile upturning his lips. It feels sad. "I know you've missed it."

A tense silence follows.

Julian closes his eyes -useless though the action is - and inhales a few breaths of the salty air. The suns have risen enough for his arms to begin warming too.

"Have you gathered all the information you needed?" He asks at last, opening his eyes again.

Elim shifts. "Yes."

"Will you return once you've handed over your report?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. It all depends."

"On your orders."

"You've become quite adept at this."

Julian shrugs, arms still hugging his leg. "You get to know a person when you live with them for a year."

"Indeed." More stones crunch as Elim moves to beside him. Julian can feel the heat wafting off the other man's skin (scales). He imagines Elim is probably crouching.

"A weakness, is it not, staying this long." Julian muses.

"A great one."

"Very careless of you."

"Yes."

Julian unclasps his hands and leans back on them. The wind tugs are his shirt. "Did you ever think you'd become this attached?"

"No. It was...unexcepted."

"Unexpected, he says. Try having an alien spy crashland in your backyard, and then we'll talk about unexpected."

"Really, I don't know where you get these ideas -"

"Don't," Julian interrupts, his chest tightening. "You owe me that much."

"...perhaps I do."

"The others would kill you, if they knew we were frie...if they knew you were so attached to this planet."

"They would."

"And your life is so much more important than ours," he snaps out, angry all of a sudden.

"Now, that was cruel."

_"You_ are cruel."

"I have never mistreated you."

"You're going to give information to your government that will allow them to takeover our planet. Enslave us. That is not cruel?"

"..."

Julian angles his body towards Elim. "Could you not just...leave the information behind. Escape to another world. Leave some hints behind for our government."

"We both know that would be useless."

"Yes, I suppose it would be." Julian sighs. "They'd just send another agent."

"Indeed." Something hard bumps his right hand fingers. "Here, drink."

"...will it hurt?" He hates that he sounds so much like a child, but he's never been killed before, so he thinks he can be forgiven. He still wraps his fingers around the cup.

"You won't even feel it," Elim assures him, nudging his hand up.

Julian knows he lies, yet he complies and takes a long sip. What's the point in resisting? His tongue tingles. "Hemlock amd arsenic? How old fashioned of you."

"Traditional."

"Yes, I suppose it is." Julian sets the empty cup down between them. "Will they find my body?"

"It would convenient."

"I guess so. Distracting too, though I still think you'll be suspect."

A soft chuckle. "I should think so."

"Poor, blind human, too trusting for his own good. Let the wolf right into his home."

"It's a wonder the boy didn't cry out to his neighbors in warning or for help. The sheep were in danger, after all."

"He wass never given theeee channnnce." Julian' slurrs. His fingers are numb now and his lungs feel heavy. "Will you rememmmber me?"

"Unfortunately."

Julian flinches. "Is...friendship so...disgusssting to you?"

_Am I_, is left unsaid.

"Yes." Elim answers without hesitation. "...but I have enjoyed our conversations."

"Theeey were...in...interesssting...weren't...they?" Julian gasps out, his body suddenly giving out. Strong arms catch him before he slams onto the rock cliff. "I...will...miss..."

"Hush, don't ruin my gift with sentiment."

Julian wheezes - the best he can do for a laugh now.

"Not much longer," Elim reassures him.

Julian can't answer anymore. His throat has closed. His fingers scrabble as he uselessly fights for air.

"Calm yourself, my friend. It is almost over."

Of course, only now will Elim admit it. When Julian is no longer a threat to his position.

His limbs seize and panic fills him.

He can't breath!

He's dying!

Someone, help him!

Please!

...

...

...

But no one does.

**0/0/0/0/0**

On a sunlit cliff, overlooking a blue earth ocean, stands a figure. He is dressed in odd clothing, armor almost. Scales cover his arms, neck, and face. His hands are clasped behind his back. His reptilian eyes narrow.

"Such a waste," he tells the stormy waters below, before whirling around and marching into his ship.

He never looks over at the still body decaying nearby.

Cardassians cannot afford such weaknesses.

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And that's it, folks. Sorry it was so depressing. I have no idea where this came from...but I like it! Lemme know what you think?


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